Wire-drawing machine



LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Sept. 28

Filed March 8, 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet L ILEZH Sept. 28 1926.

- 1,601,124" J. w. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1920 6 sh ets-sheet 2 k1 I11 I! 1 v 15? Z i 7 Z 1.5- if g 3 a 5*. :5 y

Sept. 28

J. W. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Wilma Sept. 28 1926. 1,601,124

Y I J. w. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING-MACHINE Filed March 8, 1920 6 she t -sheet 4 N JJL, E VEE iEII Sept. 28 1926.

J. W. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 8, 1920 v v I 1 Sept. 28 1926.

. J. W. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE "Filed March 8, 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 VEE iIIIF cult to produce good wire.

Patented Sept. 28, 1926. s

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J'OI-IN VJ'. LAUREN, OF' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY IVIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO STERLING VIRE'MACHINERY COMPANY, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WIRE-DRAWING MACHINE.

Application filed March 8, 1920. Serial No. 364,154.

This invention relates to wire drawing machines of the type in which the wire operated upon is reduced in diameter a number of times by being successively passed through a seriesiof dies in one continuous drawing process.

In machines of this kind positively rotated drums are provided for drawing the wire through the dies. 2 Since the drums are rotated at fixed speeds relatively to each other variations in the speed of travel of the wire produces slippage of the latter over the surface of the winding drums. This slippage produces, disadvantageous results since not only is the wear on the drum considerable but also the coating of the wire is injured, thereby making it difii- A further trouble often experienced with wire drawing machines isthat the wire as first formed is not perfectly cylindrical and may have a feather along one side. If such a wire is drawnthrough a dieit tends to cut rooves in the d e.

One of the principal objects therefore,

of the present invention is to provide means for varying the speed of the drums in accorc ance with the tension in the wire to avoids such slippage.

An .important object of the invention is to rot-ate the wire as it passes through the die to equalize the Wear on the latter and produce a more uniform and satisfactory product. 1

A further object ofthe invention is to provide means for preventing irregular jerky movements of "the drums due to backlash in the driving connections therefor or other causes. 2 Another object of the invention it to provide improved means for stopping the ma-.

chine should the wire break,"become tangled or for other reasons.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for threading a wire through the various dies and starting the machine in operation upon a new coil of wire.

[in additional object of the invention is to provide threading meanswhich may be driven whe'- he rest of the machine includin the dra rums is stationa y so as to "prevent the'driims from rubbing the wire I ing a part of when the latter is drawn through the dies for winding around the drum and incidentally protecting the men from injury, which is not possible should the drums be in constant rotation.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the drawings and specification.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described;

On the drawings:

rigure 1 1s a side elevatlon of a machine embodying the features of the present in vention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine;

Figure 8 the belt shifting mechanism.

Figure 9 is a detail view showing trip mechanism for the belt shift.

Figure 10 is a further detail View of the belt shifting mea-chanism.

Figure 11 is of Figure 2. v Figure 12 18 a detail view taken from a sectionon the line 11-11 the side of the machine opposite that illusis a detail sectional view showtrated in Figure 1 showing the arrangement i of belts and pulleys.

Figure 13 is a section upon the line l313 of Figure 9.

As shown on the drawings:

A coil of wire 1 is arranged upon a suitable non-rotatable support 2 and the wire 3 therefroinis led vertically upwards to a guide pulley 1 on the machine. As each turn of wire is lifted olf'the coil and passed around the pulley 4:, the wire twists through 860 so thatthe wire is given simultaneously a longitudinal and rotary movement. From the pulley a the wire passes around two pulleys 5 and 6 and thence to a die 7. The wire is crawn through this die by a drawing drum 8, aroundwhich the wire is coiled several times to give the desired frie tional engagement therewith. Next the wire passes in succession over each of the tension pulleys 9, guide pulleys 10, through dies T and around the drums S to a guide pulley 11 to a collecting drum 12. Guards 107 may be grovided for retaining the wire in enga rement with the drawing drums 8.

These parts are a l carried by a frame 13 having supporting legs 1% and 15. Adjacent the front end of the machine is located the main driving shaft 16 mounted in bearings 1'? and 18 on the frame. On this shaft are arranged fast and loose pulleys 19 and 20 aeapted to be driven alternately by a belt lt tl. Evans 111' shown may be provided controlling .e movement of the belt 106 to start or stop the machine independent y of the fast and loose pulleys 19 and 20.

On the end of the shaft 16 is secured a pinioi 21. which drives a 021 22 on one of the hollow shafts which drive the drums 8. The first of these shafts is connected by a chain 12-l and sprockets to the second shaft and the latter arranged to drive the third and fourth shafts and also the shaft 2t, which drives the collecting drum 12, by means of three superimposed belts shown in Figure 12. The first belt passes around the pulleys 27 and 28, the second over pulleys '26, and 28, and the third over pulleys 25, 2G. 2? and 28, so that all four pull driven simultaneous y and may he tighte red by a single tension pulley. ll using three snperimp sed belts bachlash avoided. This is an important feature since erky movements of the lrum shafts a e very liable to break the wire. The sprockets and pulleys on the WllHllUQ drum shafts are made of progressively decreasingdi meter so that the speed of the corresponding' shafts increases progressively as the wire is progressively decreased in diameter and increased in length by the action of the dies thereon.

The pu ley 28. for driving the winding drum 12, is mounted on the shaft to the end of which is secured a bevel gear 10%) in mesh with the gear 1( 0 is i. second beve gear 1U1 attached to the lower end of the vertical shaft 102, which drives the ll'lllll 12. A pulley 108 may be mounted on the shaft 2-1: for driving additional machines if desired.

The method of driving the drums S from the sham 23 is shown more pariiculerq in Figure O To the drum o a shaft 211 is secured which passes through the hollow shaft 23 and is rotatable relatively the lilounted on this shaft is a di. 'entia one pinion 31 of which is secured to the en of the shaft 2 while the other pinion attached to the shaft The dilierential s; 101 32. \Tllhll carries the planetary pinions 33, is surrounded by a drum Set for the application of a brake band 35 thcret lVith this arrangement it will be evident that the shaft 2 may rotate without driving' the drum 8, the pinions 3 merely rolling around the pinion 32 without producing rotation of the latter. If, however. the brake band is tightened around the drum ill, the drum 8 will be caused to rotate and if the pressure on the brake band isufficient to locl; the drum ill. the shaft 25) anal the drum 8 will rotate at the same speed as the shaft though in the opposite direction.

The application of the brake 3 is; controlled by the tension in the wire as t passes from one die to the next. For this purpose a series of pairs of slanda (ls ill) are mounted on the frame 1 connected a.

their upper ends by lraclzets 238, through Blocks 41 are slidably mounted on the standards #36 and on each block 15 '|OU1- nalled one'of the pulleys 5.). over which the wire 3 passes. hormally these b ocks are held at the top of the standards by chain 42, which pass upwardly over pulleys l'l secured to the brac ets and then downwardly with the lower ends of the chain attached to weights 4st. liach weight ll is mounted on the end of a lever secured at its other end to a rock shaft ll in adjustable counterweight 100 is also arrangmd on each lever ()n the rock-shalt l6. i; mounted an arm 47 connected to one end oi" the bralie band 33, while the other end of the latter encircles the shaft l-(3. .l I" desired to obtain a dill'erential action on the brahe band instead of attachin one end of the latter to the shaft 413, uch end may be connected to the lever to at a distance from the axis of the shaft -16 somewhat le:= than the distance between the latter and the point of connection of the brake band to the arm l7. With this arrangement it the chain l2 is drawn upwardly the brake hand 35 is tightened around the drum of the ii ferential. Hence, when the tension in ll! wire passing; over any one of the pulleys fl inceases, the latter is drawn down thercb'; increasing the pressure of the corres 'ioniling brake band and raising the speed of the drum S associated therewith. As the speed of the drum increases the tension in the wire. decreases until equililn'iun'i is reached.

l referably means are provided for throwing the machine out of operation should the wire break and also when the end of the coil of wire has been reached. OllYClllQHl'l Y this is aceomplis ied by mounting the last die o the .se ies on a support 48 (Figure 9) I mounted on the upper end of a rocker arm 77. A spring 49, secured at one end to the frame and at the other end to the support 48, normally holds the support at the forward end of its path of movement. lVhen, however, w' e is being drawn through the die 7 by the collecting drum 12, the traction of the wire overcomes the tension of the spring and moves the support to the rearward end of its path of movement. lVhen the wire breaks or the end of the coil is reached the traction of the wire on the die ceases, and the support returns to its original position under the action of the spring 49.

Various means may be provided for causing forward movement of the support under the action of the spring 49 to throw the machine out of operation. In the construction shown a belt-shifter 50 is provided mounted on a rod 51 (Figure 4) longitudinally re-' ciprocable in bearings 52 on the upper ends of standards 58 secured to the frame 13. Parallel to the rod 51 is abar 54 slidable in brackets 55 attached to the frame'13-and rigidly connected to the rod 51 by a member 56. The bar 54 is reciprocated by means of an arm 57 mounted on a shaft 58 journalled on the frame and formed with a slot 59 at its upper end for engagement with a pin 60 on the bar 54.

Secured to the shaft 58 is an arm 61 carrying a counterweight 62 at its outer end which tends to throw the belt shifter towards the loose pulley. Parallel tothe shaft 58 is av rod 63 secured to the former by a series ofarms 64 extending from the shaft 58 in the opposite direction to the arm 61 so that pressure ofthe foot on bar 63 will lift the counterweight and-throw the belt ontothe fast pulley 19. In order that the shifter 50 be held opposite the fast pulley against the action of the counterweight, a bar 65 (Figure 10) is pivotally connected to the arm 57 by a pin 66. On

. the under side of this bar arearranged projections. 67 and 68adapted to engage pins 69 and 70 on the frame, when the belt shifter is opposite the fast pulley the projection 67is in engagement with the pin 69. If now-this bar is lifted untilthe'parts 67 and 69 nolonger engage, the counterweight will move the arm 57, bar 65 and other parts to the-left (Figure 10) until projection 68 engages the pin 70. In this position the belt shifter is opposite'the loose pulley. I

' The bar65 is raised automatically wheneverthe wire breaks and the support 48. for

" the last die moves forwardly. For this purbar pose rod 71 (Figure 9) fisprovided havlng'an end portion extending. under the, 65, and a cam surface 7 3 adapted, when the rod 71. is r ciprocated forwardly, to push the bar 65 upwardly untillfree of the pin 69.

r L its rear endthe rod 71 is provided with two, notches 74 and-75 adapted toengage" alternatively with a pin 76 on the rocker arm 77. The notch 74 has a vertical face on its forward side so that when the pin 76 is in engagement therewith movement of the support 48 under the action of its spring 49 will cause the rod 71 to move forwardly. The'notch 75, however, is formed with an inclined face on its forward side so that the pin 76, when in engagement therewith,

notch 74, the forked end 82 of the latch 7 8 rests upon a cam surface 83 ofithe rod 71 and is thereby held in elevated position with its shoulder clear of the pin 81. When the rod 71 is in inoperative position the latch drops down into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 9.

Frequently it happens that the wire tangles as it leaves the support 2, and it is desirable that the machine be stopped as soon as that occurs. Accordingly a ring or loop 84 is provided beneath the pulley 4, through which ring the Wire is threaded. If the wire tangles it is held by the'ring 84 and the tension in the wire passing around the pulleys 5 and 6 increases. The pulley 5 ,is mounted on a swinging arm 85 provided with a rearward extension 86 (Figure 8), to whichis attached a cord 87 passing around a'fpulley 88 and supporting a coun-' terweight 89 at its lowerend. Normally the tension of thewire is insuflicient to move the arm 85 upwardly against the pull of the counterweight. Vhen, however, the tension increases owing to the wire becoming entangled against the ring 84, the arm 85 is drawn upwardly and pulls the cord 87 with it until a ball 90 engages the forked end 91 of a bell crank 92 and lifts the other end of the latter thereby releasing the belt-shifting mechanism.

Difficulty is often experienced in threading the wire through the dies 7 and around the drums 8. Special means are, therefore, provided for this purpose. In the construction shown these means include an endless chain 93 passing around sprockets 94 (Figures 3. 6 and 7). One of these sprockets is mounted on a shalt 103 having at its other end a gear 104 in mesh with a pinion 105 rigidly connected to the loose pulley 20 so that when the belt 106 is in engagementtherewith the chain is driven by the sprockets 94.

The driving mechanism of the pullir in devicejis mted en the loose p as to prevent the drumsfrom rul.

wire when the latter is drawn through the dies for winding around the drum. In other words, the drawing-in is done while the rest of the machine is at a standstill thereby inzidcntally protecting the men from injury, which is not possible should the drums be in constant rotation.

To one part oi this chain a wire clamping device 95 is secured so that the wire may be orawn alone the machine. In threading the wire through the machine the first die T is secured to a bracket 96 adjacent the forward end of the path of travel of the chain 93. The end of the wire is now passed around a guide pulley 111 through the die and there secured to the clamp 95 and drawn rearwardly by the chain. Then the wire is dismnnected from the clamp and the latter connected again to the wire at a. point adjacent the die. This operation is continued until suliicient wire has been drawn through the machine to be lapped several times around the first winding drum 8 over the first tension pulley 9 back to the guide pulley 111. ll hcn this has been accomplished the die 7 is returned to its normal position and the wire which has been drawn therethrough is passed around the drum 8 and pulleys 9 and 111. After this has been done the second die 7 is placed on the bracket- 96 and wire drawn therethrough as before. These operations are continued until the wire has been threaded through all of the dies and lapped around the collecting drum 12.

The operation is as follows: A coil 1 of wire 3 is placed on the support 2 and the end of the wire 8 is threaded through the ring 81 around pulleys 4, 5 and 6 and through the first die 7. The latter is secured to the bracket 96 and after the end of the \"re has been passed through the die it atta hed to the clamp 95 on the chain 3. The chain is then placed in operation by uringing the belt 106 in engagement with the loose pulley 20.

After sutiicient wire has been drawn through the first die the latter is replaced in its normal position. Then the wire is passed around the drum 8 and pulleys 9 and 111. Next the second die is placed on the bracket 96 and the wire drawn therethroue'h as before.

After the wire has been threaded all through the machine the belt shifter 50 is placed so as to retain the belt 106 in engagement with the fast pulley 19. The drawing drums 8 and the collecting drum 12 are. then driven by means of gears 21 and 22, chain 21 and the belts passing around the pulleys Q5 Q6 27 and 28. The speed of operation of each of the drawing drums is regulated automatically by the tension in the wire as it passes around each tension pulley If the tension around one pulley should 'ierease the block =11, on which the pulley 9 is mounted, is drawn downwards pulling the lower, end of the chain 42 connected thereto upwardly. As this chain is connected to the weight on the brake lever 45, the tension of the brake hand :35 around the drum 3i ot the corresponding dili'erential 30 is increased. As a result the drawing pulley is spcedcd up and the tension oi the adjacent portion oi" the wire thereby automatically decreased.

So long as wire is being); drawn through the last die 7 its support 11) is held in rearward position against the tension of the spring 49. When an end oi wire whi 'h may be either a broken end or the end. (it the coil 1, passes through the last dic T, the traction on the di suddenly becomes zero and the support -16 is drawn forwardly by the sprin 19. r

This causes the rod ii to slide 'l'orward and by its cam surface 73 hits the latch out of engagement with the pin (39, thereby allowiin the counterweight (32 to move the belt slnltter 50 so as to throw the belt ins onto the loose pulley 20, thereby stopping the machine.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide nue without departing from the princis of this inieutiou, and 1 therefore do not purpoi e limiting: the patent granted otherwise than indicated by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Tire drawing apparatus comprising a plurality of dies. a plurality of drawing drums, a driving; shaft for each drunn a separate frictional driving means for each shaft, a. different al between each of the shafts and its drum. a brake acting on the dill'erential spider, and means controlled by the tension in the wire for varying the pressure oil the brake and thereby controllinethe speed of rotation of the corresponding drum.

2. ll ire drawing apparatus compris ng a plurality of dies, a plurality of drawing drums, a driving shaft for each drum, a separate frictional driving means for each shaft. a differential between each of the shafts and its drum, a brake acting on the dili erential spider, an idle pulley for the passage of the wire thercaround in its pa sage from one drawing drum to the nest drum, a movable support for the idle pulley, and a connection between the support and said bralte whereby variations in the tension of the wire produce changes in the pressure ot the bralze and thereby control the speed 01 rotat on of one of the drums.

3. lVire drawing apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of dies, a plurality of drawing drums, a separate frictional driving means for each shalt. a driv ngshaft "for each drum. a dillerential between one of the shafts and its drum, a brake acting on the dilierential spider, a movable tension device for the wire arranged between the last-men loo tioned drum and a drum adjacent thereto, and means controlled by the movement of said tension device'for controlling said brake and so varying the speed of said drum.

4.. Wire drawing apparatus comprising a plurality of dies, a plurality of drawing drums, a driving shaft for each drum, a separate frictional driving means for each shaft,

a differential between one of the shafts and 1 its drum, a brake acting on the difierential spider, a movable tension device, for the wire arranged between the last-mentioned drum and the drum ad acent thereto, and a connection between said device and said brake whereby variations in the tension of drums, an endless chain, a driving shaft, fast and loose pulleys on said shaft operatively connected to the drawing drums and chain respectively, and means for attaching awire to one part of the chain and thereby drawing the wire through each die in succession prior to the engagement of the wire with the corresponding drawing drum. 1

6. l/Vire drawing apparatus comprising a driving belt, a driven shaft, fast and loose pulleys on said shaft, a belt shifter, counterweighted means normally adapted to move the belt shifter opposite the loose pulley, a latch for holding the belt shifter opposite the fast pulley, and means for releasing the latch whenever the tension in the wire exceeds a predetermined value.

1n testlmony whereof I have'hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN W. LAUREN. 

